Ch 2. A day on Apatros
Chapter note: All of the miners I name by name will be mine and also the cantina owner. Enjoy!
I woke when I heard the ear piercing sound of the alarm. I threw the covers off my bed and sluggishly walked towards the bathroom. I removed my clothes that I wore yesterday and took a quick shower. I threw on some nice clean clothes and for the first time today looked at the clock. It was only 9:00 standard. The day shift didn't start till 10:00. I thought of what I could do to pass time, but nothing came to mind.
I looked around my rather empty barracks. This wasn't much better than the prison cells. They had a bed at least, though it wasn't much more comfortable than the floor. Here had a bathroom with a door and shower which was better than before. I had stuff to eat, but it really wasn't that satisfying and the only place to get it was at the cantina which is usually where I spend my time off, at night. The barracks also had a little cabinet to put my clean clothes and money I earned playing Sabacc or another game available.
"I don't have time to go to the cantina," I thought to myself.
So in the end I just decided to remain in my room for a while. I glanced over impatiently at my clock every ten minutes or so. I groaned every time it was 30 minutes off. Finally once it had gotten to about 9: 50, I got my drill lying on the floor next to my bed and head out. The drill was probably about 5 ft tall almost my height. It must've weighed over 150 pounds. It had two handles protruding from the top, very similar to a jackhammer. As I walked outside and once again realized the walk from the barracks to the mines, I ran back inside. I withdrew some of the money I kept in my room that I had won from Sabacc the other night. There was a taxi service to ORO miners, but rebel miners could ride for a fee of 10 credits a ride. I personally thought it was insanely overpriced, but never complained.
I learned to keep my mouth shut about practically anything. Most of the people here were willing to fight you over anything. A few of the miners had gotten into fights that resulted in broken bones. I was a small man so I tried to not get into fights. One time I was in a fight and it didn't end very well. I was out of work for three days. The rebels said that would add time to my slavery which you could imagine I was angry about. So I learned not to do that.
I once again took up my drill and made my way outside to the taxi station. It was quiet for the most part. One or two cabs came in and out of the loading station periodically, bringing night workers home and day workers out. As I approached the only stationed cab the driver eyed me carefully.
"You a rebel," he said in a gruff voice, "you got your credits?"
"I got them right here," I replied back pulling ten silvery coins out of one of the numerous pockets on the army pants.
"Hop on in," he said as he shoved the coins in his pocket. The man tried to make small talk on the thirty minute long drive, but I kind of zoned out. I had just walked five minutes carrying that drill. It doesn't sound like much but it was for me, believe me.
"We're here," he said coming to a slow stop. Without a word I grabbed my drill and hurtled out of the speeder cab. It became a little red blur in the distance as I walked into the cold dark mines of Apatros. The mines were freezing cold and pitch black, I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. I dug into my pocket and pulled out my last glow rod.
I threw the glow rod on the ground and watched as it illuminated the dark, damp caves. I dug my drill ferociously into the hard cortosis rock. It took me several tries before I could securely lock the drill into the rock. I pulled on the crank until it roared to life.
I drilled for hours on end. I was sweating severely, and both mud and rock blew into my face. My face was scraped up and my vision was being clouded by flying dust. It was now of the day and 16:00 still had 4 hours left. Outside the sun was going down and the cantina was about to close for four hours, not opening again until 2:00. I killed my drill for a little while and wiped my face with my ragged, torn shirt. The bits of rock had cut into it. My pants were also torn up but it was okay they had a little shop for clothes in the cantina.
I picked up my drill for the second time and shoved it into the rocky ground. This time it wasn't as agonizing for I was only working for four hours. Finally the the end of the day had came. It was 20:00 and I was putting my drill on my back. I made my way back to the taxi station and withdrew 10 credits. The same man that had driven me here.
"Had fun," the man said in sarcastic tone as I handed him the 10 credits.
"Take me to the cantina," I told him angrily.
"Looking like that?" he replied.
I looked down at my torn up clothing. He had a point, and I also smelt bad to.
"Alright bring me back to the cantina," I said seeing his point.
When we arrived I flung my drill out of the taxi with all the strength I had left. I carried the drill to the seventh floor where my room was. Once I got inside I slammed the drill into its usual spot in front of the bed. I rushed off into the shower. I pulled off my ragged clothes and jumped into the shower. After 15 minutes I put on some more clothes and made my way downstairs.
The sun had just set and I followed the muddy roads all the way to Rojack's diner. That was the name of the diner run by the Rojack the Nikto. As I approached the bar I saw it was still closed. "Must've gotten here faster than I thought," I said to myself. Just as I was saying that the lights outside glimmered to life. Crowds of thirsty hungry people rushed in two. I barely made it inside alive.
The bar was already teaming with life and excitement. There was a twi'lek dancer moving very gracefully in the center stage. A band was playing a song he didn't recall, but it had a nice beat. People crowded the Sabacc tables and the bar also had people waiting to get some drinks. I strolled over to the bar and took a chair next to Rojack. He had a somewhat blank expression though his personality differed. He was an orange or red Nikto with leathery skin and an extremely thick skull. He had a few horns protruding from the side of his head. I gave him a slight nod which meant give me the usual. Even though I had only been here a week or two I visited the bar regularly.
I turned to watch the band play, but mostly the twi'lek dancer. She had a tight covering that went over her chest and bottom. Her entire legs and half her stomach were revealed. As she moved with the rhythmic beat her body seemed to get more defined. I only turned my attention when Rojack slid the bottle cross the counter. I was hypnotized by her.
Finally my attention turned to the Sabacc tables. I was in need of money. I gracefully walked towards the miners sitting at the table. No one was a rebel, for no one else had the uniform. If a rebel transport ship caught a slave without the uniform they were severely beaten so I made sure to where my uniform. I needed 50 credits for a new uniform most of mine were destroyed.
I took my seat next to one of the largest miners, but I wasn't to scared. The rough, gruesome looking man wouldn't start a fight in the cantina, Rojack would easily shoot him with the blaster he kept in his desk. I sat my last 6 credits for three hands. The table had a big randomizer that switch from red to blue in the center of the table. If it landed on red at the end of a turn there would be s shift, where your cards changed values, if blue there was to me no shift. The deck, which was held by a Sabacc droid contained seventy-six cards.
The purpose of the game was to get a hand closet to twenty-three, known as a pure Sabacc. Negative twenty-three was also good, but it could be overruled by a pure Sabacc. You could also get and idiots array, which was an idiot card a 2 and a 3. The hand pot, won at the end of a match, was not nearly as large as the Sabacc pot, won on a pure Sabacc.
The table could sit six and with me they had six. Three males three females crowded the Sabacc table hoping to score big. All of them were large in frame, mostly muscle, even the females. It was from continuously working the mines for years. There was one girl who was slim though. She looked tired out. It seemed like she had only been here a short while. She wore clothing that looked similar to mine, why I couldn't imagine. She wasn't a rebel slave though because her clothing was just similar, but was definitely not a rebel uniform. Her long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and her jade green eyes had a piercing glare. I quickly turned my head when she looked into my eyes. It seemed as if she was trying to kill me.
There turn had finally ended so I cashed in putting two of my six coins in the automated droid.
"I'm in," I called placing two of my four credits in the hand pot. The others pushed in five or six, but I didn't mind. The droid spit out our cards and mine looked good 9 and ten 10. I could tell some others were grinning and already claiming the hand pot, but I was certain they were bluffing. I only had few coins left so I drew another card. I got a 2.
"Twenty-one!" I thought to myself, "Boy am I lucky."
Two folded and the others raised the bet. I gave them a victorious smile and pushed my last remain coins into the pot. No two more folded and only me and the girl was left. The shift counter flashed on and began to flicker.
"Oh no, if we shift I'll most likely lose," I panicked. The counter began to come to a slow stop after changing so fast. Red, Blue, Red, finally after a few more flickers it landed on Blue. "What a relief," I said sighing. It was time to lay out our hands. I placed my twenty one on the table and the others gasped at my hand. She had a twenty, and then I knew it was luck. The hand pot had gather a little bit in it, enough to buy to uniforms and another drink.
I thought about playing again then decided I may lose my credits so I left. I went to Rojack and asked nicely if I could get two more rebel uniforms. He rummaged through the shop in the back and withdrew two nicely fitting rebel uniforms. I was glad that Rojack had so larger uniforms. I handed him 100 credits, and took my uniforms back to my room. That was a usual day on Apatros.